FSM
Round-Up
Clubs told to meet anti-terrorism plan
The operators of sports stadiums will be obliged to produce a plan to protect supporters in the event of a terrorist attack inside or outside the ground in order to receive a licence in the future. New guidelines produced as part of
the first revision for ten years to the government-funded Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds include the need to plan for terrorist attacks after incidents outside the Stade de France and at the Manchester Arena. The document, known as the green
guide and running to more than 300 pages, also gives official blessing to football clubs to follow Tottenham Hotspur’s lead and install seats incorporating barriers that will allow safe-standing areas to be introduced immediately if the government changes the law. Ken Scott, the head of inspectorate
for the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA), said that the November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris, including on the Stade de France, had led to the revisions of the guide featuring planning for “invacuation” — where the stadium is locked down to protect those inside. Scott said:
“Previous planning has been about the usual egress or if there is an emergency such as a fire inside the stadium. The events at the Stade de France and the Manchester Arena have changed that. “If you have an event such as a
terrorist attack happening outside the ground and there is a potential danger, what do we do with up to 90,000 people inside the stadium? It’s looking at things such as phased movement of people, or perhaps using the pitch to accommodate people.” The new guide states: “In addition to
normal and emergency egress, a third category called ‘exceptional egress’ is introduced, to take into account possible responses to a terrorist threat or attack occurring either inside or outside the ground. One type of exceptional egress is ‘invacuation’. ” Stadium operators will also be
required to look at installing barriers to prevent attacks by cars or vans — known as “hostile vehicle mitigation” — and to ensure that they do not block evacuation routes. Scott said that the revision to
the guide, which now permits seats incorporating barriers at Premier
League and Championship grounds, “break new ground”. Some rail seats, such as those used in
a safe-standing trial at Celtic’s stadium, will not be permitted. However, other designs such as Tottenham’s where flip- seats are used with barriers in front of each seat are now permitted. The design has been described as
“safe-standing by the back door” because if the seats are not being sat on, they will be in the “up” position. In order to receive a licence from the SGSA, however, Spurs will still need to have a management policy to get fans to sit down in those areas. Should legislation change, however —
and the government has commissioned a review of the evidence in favour or against a change — then Tottenham would be able to have a ready-made safe-standing area that would cost nothing to adapt. “People could say it’s safe-standing
by the back door but I would stress that Tottenham still have the requirement to make people sit down,” Scott said. “Tottenham have identified where persistent standing occurs and are attempting to manage that risk.”
Venues under fire regarding provision for disabled fans
Two of British sport’s most iconic and pres- tigious venues – Wembley and Wimbledon – are under scrutiny from equality watchdogs over their provision for disabled fans. Peter Carr, the chair of Tottenham’s Disabled Supporters’ Association, has described Wembley as “somewhere that should be a flagship, but which falls quite short of the mark” while Wimbledon Centre Court provides only 28 wheelchair spaces, against recommended guidance for a stadium of its size of 120. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is planning to write to Wembley Stadium about the issues, while the charity Level Playing Field has been working with the All-England
4 FSM
Lawn Tennis Club to improve facilities. After the success in transforming the disabled facilities in Premier League football over recent seasons, the spotlight is now turning to other stadiums and sports. Wembley, which has been Tottenham Hotspur’s home for the past two seasons, was criticised at the most recent meeting of the Premier League Disability Advisory Group, with wheelchair users especially unhappy at the accessibility. It was reported that the limited lift system created delays, that there was then a security “chamber” to negotiate and that the typical time from getting between the outside of the stadium to a wheelchair bay inside was 30 minutes. Wimbledon Centre Court provides only
28 wheelchair spaces, against recommended guidance for a stadium of its size of 120. The Accessible Stadia Guide was first published in 2003 and provides guidelines for sports stadiums, including minimum numbers of wheelchair bays. Wimbledon Centre Court provides less than a quarter of the recommended space. An All-England Club spokesperson also
said that, due to the size of the courts and structures around them, its local authority had always considered the overall access across the site rather than specific stadiums. “Our 18 Championship courts represent
18 fields of play and we ensure there is reserved space for wheelchair users at every court,” said the spokesperson.
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